The Other Side
by Inscriber
Summary: Artemis and Cheshire get a chance to talk about the past: "It's ironic." Artemis said, turning her eyes on Cheshire, "Without Dad and you, I would have never been a hero." *ONE-SHOT*


The Other Side

Summary: "It's ironic." Artemis said, turning her eyes on Cheshire, "Without Dad and you, I would have never been a hero."

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Like any good Hollywood cliché, it was raining in Gotham when Artemis spotted the fleeting view of a gracefully slim figure dart across the fire escape in front of her apartment as she walked home.

The rain had been smashing against the cement sidewalk beneath her while she trudged her feet against the pavement so she could listen the sound of sloshing water beneath her shoe. Walking home from Gotham Academy wasn't as fun as you might think, especially not when she was one of the only walkers – all the other brats there were pretty rich and caught rides from their parents or personal nannies. Usually it was fine, and even now she supposed it wasn't too bad, but rain had now completely soaked her done to her bone and had probably ruined the contents of her bag (which she had recently found was pretty water-absorbent).

However, at the sight of the figure dashing up to the roof of her apartment building gave her hope that the day would be turning out to be a little less dull.

Without much effort, Artemis broke out into a run, pumping her arms and feeling her backpack slosh up and down as she picked up speed. Without pausing, Artemis dashed past the entrance of her apartment building and took a hard left into the accessible alleyway. She hardly slowed down as she took the turn, only sliding a little before continuing on her way and keeping her pace steady.

Adrenaline rushed through her veins at the sudden sprint, and she couldn't help but smile as she rushed under an old fire escape ladder and then lunged into the air, her long fingers barely able to grab hold of the last wrung. Still though, she heaved out a small breath of air from effort and then felt her experienced muscles burn while she pulled herself up to the next wrung, and then the next, until her feet found hold on the ladder as well. After that it didn't take much effort to continue, and soon she was flying up the twists and turn of the metal maze, winding her way towards the top in pursuit of the person she'd seen exit her apartment and flee – Cheshire.

Her hands fell against her knees as soon as she reached the roof, and she felt sweat escaping her tied-back hair. Her calves were screaming vengefully at her, and her back was just as displeased because of the soggy backpack it'd been supporting, along with the rest of her body – however, she wasn't too concerned with that at the moment, because she lifted her head and found a hideously wide smile bearing down over her. Sure, the mask was nothing compared to Joker's marred expression, but it wasn't a pleasant sight all the same. It was a darn good thing she'd grown used to it, or she might've gasped unintentionally. Quickly she gulped down another mouthful of air and then stood up, now grateful for the rain as it hid the sweat from her sister's observant eyes.

"What're you doing here?" Artemis asked, placing her hands on his hips and setting her face in a serious expression and plastering a look of discontent to her pose.

Her sister shrugged, her costume clinging to her because of the rain and her mop of waterlogged hair hanging limply at the sides of her mask.

"I felt like dropping by and catching up with Mom." She said lightly, in the tone that mixed coolness and condescending that only Jade could muster. If her face hadn't been hidden by the awful grin her mask portrayed, she was sure her sister's confident smirk would be making an appearance.

Artemis frowned, pushing some wet loose hair that had fallen out of her pony-tail from her face and crossed her arms.

"Oh? Didn't seem to concerned with her when you left me alone and her in jail. How'd that go?" Artmeis asked, her steely eyes narrowing.

She had to give Jade props – the girl didn't even take a second glance before she pushed the comment off to the side with another shrug.

"She's not happy. Not too pleased with my line of work either. Can you believe that hypocrite? I mean, she's the one who got involved with Sportsmaster and then decided to bear not one but _two_ of his offspring. What did she expect?" Jade almost spat out the last part, her tone hardening a bit before relaxing back into its usual arrogant twang, "Still, keeping in touch with family is important, which is why I waited up here to talk to you."

Artemis couldn't help it – she barked out a short laugh. It was a cold, empty, and meaningless sound filled with disbelief.

"I thought I slowed you down. That's what you said when you left." Another thought occurred to her, "And besides, family obviously can't be _that_ important to you. You wouldn't stay and help keep the family together."

"Whatever we were, it wasn't a family." Jade snapped, "You know I had to get out of there, and you were too young to follow me."

Artemis narrowed her eyes even further, and now they were only slits. Silently, she agreed with Cheshire on her opinion of their messed up family, but she didn't hold back any venom when she snorted, "Right, but I was totally old enough to be raised by Sportsmaster."

For the first time, Cheshire grimaced and then shook her head slowly, "I know it was bad to leave you alone with him. I know his training methods were…severe. I'll never forgive him for that." Jade lifted her mask, revealing her slender face – a face that looked so much like her mother's. However, it had mits of her father mixed in to. She could see the hard glint in her sister's eyes, and the tough demeanor in which she carried herself with – though she wasn't completely certain whether or not it was a trait from her father or a gift from living with criminals. It didn't matter, really.

Artemis shook her head, "You don't get to be angry – not for the stuff he did to me. Whatever he did, you let it happen." Artemis shrugged, her voice cold as she simply stated the facts, "You left. Dad was mad, because he'd spent a long time training you - a lot of time and effort. He decided to start training me instead." Artemis got a far-away look in her eye.

Training with her father was intense. Mistakes weren't tolerated, and punishments were just as swift as they were severe. She wouldn't label it as abuse, more like extreme conditioning. However, she would admit that her childhood had died. It had been wounded when her mother had gone to jail, been gravely injured when her sister had left, but she'd known it'd died once her father decided Artemis would join the family business while Jade was off elsewhere, escaping. In that time, she'd learned to fight, and been taught to handle a variety of weapons. She'd also been taught to deal with betrayal and slowly learned the art of mistrust. As an unintended consequence, she'd also learned to become a fabulous actor. Not for any of her missions or assignments, but the acting was saved for her father, who hated his daughter's heart – it was too soft and easily upset. But she'd learned to hide her anxiety and her conscience, and she'd even managed to build up walls that made her hard and enduring.

She'd become the soldier her father wanted.

All it had cost her was her childhood and family.

Cheshire's eyes turned downcast and she and Artemis allowed the rain to provide noise for a span of eternity before Jade looked back up.

"I never intended for that to happen." She said, but her tone was back to smooth and carefree.

"Doesn't matter much now. Besides, I don't regret anything." Artemis stated, and her sister's face became curious.

"You don't?"

"He taught me to fight and to keep secrets, and you taught me never to rely on anyone."

Jade nodded, though the smallest amounts of hurt tinged her eyes at the lesson she'd taught her little sister, "Those are good lessons to learn." She admitted rather solemnly.

"But I'm also learning that there might be a difference between reliance and trust." Artemis amended, thinking of her team. No, she would never fully rely on them – but maybe one day she could learn to trust them.

Jade just shook her head, "I've made my mistakes, and I suppose you have to make yours." Then the older teen's eyes found their way to Artemis's damp backpack.

"I see you joined that little prep school."

"Yeah. Mom wants me to have a life she couldn't." Artemis explained.

"She's taking care of you – I'm glad." Cheshire admitted.

"And I'm taking care of her. That's what a family does. I guess you wouldn't know that though."

At firs Jade wanted to lash out at Artemis, but something stopped her. The rain pouring down around her, and Jade finally realized something – Artemis wasn't little anymore. Her little sister was grown up. The trembling toddler she'd left to fend for herself was gone, and now someone strong independent had replaced her. Being raised by their father would do that to a kid – but Jade felt something choke her a bit. She'd lost her. But then she felt herself harden again – she didn't regret what she'd done and she would have done it again. Besides, as she looked at Artemis she saw someone strong and sturdy and could take care of themselves. That's all she could have asked for for her little sister.

"I'm proud of you." The words fell from Jades mouth before she could reclaim them.

Jade hadn't been expecting a Hallmark moment or anything, this _was_, after all, her family, but she supposed she had expected _something_.

However, Artemis just cast her gaze off the side, only a flicker of sadness flashing through her expression before she shook her head.

Cheshire frowned, "I'm proud of you because you're doing something I can't – you're caring for someone other than yourself. I'm proud because you're not like me, and because you're one of the good guys. I'm proud because you're my sister."

Artemis looked up, her eyes untrusting, "Dad always said there were no such things as bad guys or good guys – just people who were worse than some and others who had more favorable angles to play."

Cheshire shook her head, "Trust me, there are bad guys. I know, I'm one of 'em. But believe me when I tell you there are heroes. I've met a few. Under less favorable conditions, admittedly."

Artemis bit her lip, "You could change, you know."

Jade's face darkened with longing, but in a split-second it was gone, and her confident smirk was back, "No, I can't. I'm where I belong. I'm a lot of things, and a Cape isn't one of them. Besides, that offer can go both ways."

A roar of thunder lit the sky, and lightning danced through the air.

"It can't." Artemis replied firmly, "I won't leave Mom. Besides, I think this is where I belong, too."

Cheshire nodded and walked over to the ledge of the building, sitting herself down with her feet over the edge. Artemis walked over next to her, and for the first time in many years, the just stood next to eachother. For the first time in a long time, they felt like sisters. Though both of them knew that no matter how close they were to each other, they couldn't be farther apart. Two different faces of the same coin could never really be on the same side.

After a while, Jade laughed.

"You know, it's ironic."

"What?" Artemis asked.

"I left you and Mom so I could get away from Dad, but I ended up working with him. You had to stay with him, but in the end, you got away. You even took Mom with you."

Artemis nodded, and then she realized something.

"You know what else is ironic?" Artemis asked, shooting her sister a look, "Without Dad and you, I never would have been a hero."

Cheshire nodded.

"Life's funny that way." Then she stood up, glancing down to the ground, "Well, I better go. And don't expect any easy treatment next time you and your team end up taking us on." Jade warned, pulling down her mask and turning back into Cheshire.

Artemis nodded, stepping away, "I wasn't going to."

Both sisters looked at each other, and for one more moment, they were a family again. But only for a moment.

Then, Cheshire jumped, and Artemis only waited long enough to hear her sister land expertly on the fire escape below before she turned to leave.


End file.
